At the hospital on the Salina Cruz naval base, the morning had begun with the doctors making their usual rounds. Nurses moved in and out of the rooms, checked treatments, and reminded the patients that they still needed to ask for help before trying to get up.
Since the worldwide broadcast, some things had changed. The people working there now knew the name of the squadron those young women belonged to. They had seen their aircraft over the ocean and heard Victoria Aguilar speak before millions of people. Yet inside the hospital, the pilots still needed help walking, changing their clothes, or finding a position that did not hurt.
Ignacio Rodríguez arrived as a nurse finished checking the dressing on the young woman he had rescued.
He waited by the door until she noticed him.
"You can come in," she said.
The head of her bed was slightly raised, and her blonde hair was loosely tied back. Some color had returned to her face, though the exhaustion still showed around her eyes.
Ignacio pulled the chair closer.
"How are you feeling?"
"I managed to sit up today without needing quite so much help."
"That's good."
"The nurse wasn't so pleased when I tried to get out of bed on my own."
The woman, who was still arranging the supplies beside the bed, looked at her.
"Because we told you to call us."
"I just wanted to reach the window."
"And the window will still be there when you can walk without getting dizzy."
Ignacio lowered his gaze to hide a smile. The young woman caught him immediately.
"Don't laugh. You can leave whenever you want."
"After hearing that, I think I'd better ask permission too."
The nurse shook her head, but she smiled before leaving.
Ignacio sat down. During his previous visits, they had barely been able to talk; she almost always ended up falling asleep, or the doctors needed to attend to her. Now she seemed more alert.
"With everything that happened, I still haven't asked your name."
The young woman looked at him.
"Cecilia. Cecilia Villanta."
"I'm Ignacio Rodríguez."
"Nice to meet you, Ignacio."
They both smiled at the belated introduction.
"You too, Cecilia."
She rested a hand on the sheet while he placed his cap on his knees.
"What about your parents?" Ignacio asked. "What do they think of what you do? Of you being a pilot and having to go into combat?"
Cecilia's smile faded a little.
"I don't have parents. I'm an orphan."
Ignacio went still.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's all right."
Cecilia lowered her gaze to her hands before continuing.
"They died in a clash with one of the groups trying to free the Kartnod."
He listened in silence.
"Before everything that happened on the coast?"
"Yes. Those groups have been trying for a long time. There was already fighting before the ships you saw appeared."
Ignacio remembered the explanations given during the broadcast. They had spoken of centuries of conflict and families protecting the seals, but until that moment, he had not thought about how that struggle had affected the life of someone like her.
Cecilia looked at him again.
"Many of the other pilots are orphans too. Their parents died fighting those who wanted to free them."
He tightened his grip slightly on the cap.
"I had no idea."
"Almost no one outside the families knew what was happening."
For a few seconds, only the sounds from the corridor could be heard. Ignacio did not know what else to say, and Cecilia did not seem to expect an answer.
Then she looked at the television, which was switched off.
"I saw the commander on the broadcast."
Ignacio nodded.
"So did I."
"She was nervous."
"She didn't seem nervous to me."
"That's because you don't know her."
Cecilia looked at the screen.
"It's strange to see her talking about us in front of the whole world. Not long ago, we couldn't even say what we did."
"Now everyone wants to know."
"It seems that way."
Before they could continue, the nurse returned.
"You'll be receiving some visitors shortly. Representatives from the Oaxaca state government and the municipal authorities are coming. The heads of the Aguilar family have arrived too."
Cecilia looked up.
"Is the commander with them?"
"Yes. They're going to speak with the doctors first, then visit the rooms."
After the nurse left, Cecilia tried to smooth a few loose strands of hair with her fingers.
Ignacio watched her.
"What are you doing?"
"Making myself look a little more presentable."
"You're in a hospital."
"I know that."
He handed her the small mirror from the table. She held it up, examined her reflection, and finally put it down with the glass facing the table.
"Never mind."
"You don't look that bad."
Cecilia gave him a doubtful look.
"You're not very good at lying."
At the entrance to the hospital ward, the doctor in charge was explaining the patients' conditions to the delegation.
The government representatives listened alongside the heads of the Aguilar family. Victoria stood near Melissa, while Carlos Fuentes paid attention to the instructions for the visits.
"Some can walk with assistance," the doctor explained. "Others still need rest and monitoring. Please don't tire them out. If any of them wants to end the conversation, we need to respect that."
One of the officials nodded.
"Of course. We've come to thank them for what they did and see how they're recovering."
Victoria glanced down the corridor.
"Do they all know we're here?"
"We've already told them."
The first room was occupied by two pilots. One was resting with her arm immobilized; the other had managed to sit by the window. When they recognized Victoria, both tried to straighten up.
"Stay as you are," the commander told them.
Melissa approached the pilot by the window and asked how her night had been. While they spoke, one of the municipal representatives stopped beside the other bed.
The young woman had a dressing near her temple. On the table were a glass of water, a phone connected to its charger, and an open bag of cookies.
The official introduced himself and offered his hand.
"It's an honor to meet you."
She returned the greeting somewhat shyly.
"Thank you for coming."
The man held her gaze for a few seconds. Then he looked at the other pilot before turning back to her.
"Forgive me for asking… how old are you?"
"Twenty."
It took the official a moment to respond.
"Twenty," he repeated.
The pilot by the window spoke up.
"I'm twenty-two."
One of the state government representatives turned to Victoria.
"I thought we would be meeting older personnel."
"The oldest of the pilots admitted here is twenty-two," she replied. "None of them has turned twenty-three."
The man looked at the patients again.
He had watched the combat footage several times. He remembered the aircraft descending through gunfire, cutting through smoke, and attacking vessels larger than the navy's ships. Until that moment, he had not connected those images with someone who might be his own daughter's age.
"I didn't know," he admitted.
The twenty-year-old lowered her gaze to her immobilized arm.
Victoria remained beside her.
"They've spent years training. They knew their aircraft and what they had to do."
"I don't doubt that," the official replied. "After seeing what they did, no one could."
His tone had changed. He set aside the folder he had been carrying under his arm and pulled up a chair.
"How have they been looking after you here?"
The young woman glanced at the nurse standing near the door.
"Very well. Though they hardly let us do anything on our own."
"They must have a reason," the other pilot replied from beside the window.
The conversation became easier. Over the next few minutes, they listened as the pilots described the past few days, the discomfort that lingered, and how difficult it was to keep still. One admitted that she was tired of sleeping in short stretches; the other asked whether the rest of the pilots could visit her later.
The delegation continued through the ward. The heads of the Aguilar family stopped beside each bed, listened to the young women, and consulted the medical staff. Victoria took the opportunity to speak with them personally, sometimes in a low voice, while Melissa and Carlos waited a few steps behind.
The ages repeated as they went.
Nineteen.
Twenty-one.
Twenty.
The officials' initial surprise gave way to closer attention. The conversations lasted a little longer than planned, though none of them seemed in a hurry to reach the next door.
Ignacio stood when someone knocked.
Cecilia recognized Victoria first. Her expression changed, and she tried to straighten up, but the movement sent a sharp pain through her abdomen.
The commander came over immediately.
"Take it slowly."
"I'm fine."
"Then don't make things worse trying to prove it."
Cecilia stopped moving. Victoria positioned the chair beside the bed and studied her face before asking:
"Are you still getting dizzy?"
"Less than before."
"And the pain?"
"When I move."
One of the heads of the Aguilar family stopped on the other side of the bed.
"We've spoken with the doctors. You're improving, but you still need time."
She nodded.
Ignacio had stepped aside to make room. When Victoria looked at him, he introduced himself.
"Ignacio Rodríguez, ma'am. From the ARM Reformador."
Cecilia pointed to him.
"He's the one who found me."
Victoria turned fully toward the sailor.
"You pulled her out of the water."
"I was with the rescue team. We saw her moving among the wreckage and went over."
The commander held his gaze.
"Thank you for bringing her back."
Ignacio seemed uncomfortable with the attention he had suddenly received.
"The doctors did the hardest part."
"And they were able to do it because you reached her," one of the family heads added.
The young man nodded, unable to find a reply.
The officials introduced themselves next. Cecilia listened to their names and positions, still somewhat bewildered by the number of people gathered around her bed.
The state representative asked how she was feeling. She gave much the same answer she had given Victoria.
Then the man paused.
"We've been told that all of you are very young. How old are you?"
"Eighteen."
The official fell silent.
Cecilia looked at Victoria, wondering whether she had said something wrong.
"My daughter is your age," he said at last.
No one answered immediately.
The man glanced at the dressing visible beneath her hospital gown, then looked away, aware that he had been staring for too long.
"We had received reports of the battle," he continued. "They told us about the ships, the damage, and the people who were rescued. But I never imagined that…"
He left the sentence unfinished.
"That we'd be so young," Cecilia finished for him.
"Yes."
She rested her fingers on the sheet.
"We didn't expect the battle to be like that either."
Victoria lowered her gaze slightly.
The official pulled closer the chair Ignacio had vacated.
"What you did allowed many people to leave the threatened areas. Entire families were able to reach safety while you were still out there."
Cecilia listened without raising her head.
"I couldn't see that from my aircraft," she said. "All I could see were the targets and the other pilots."
She was quiet for a few seconds.
"After the impact, I tried to keep it in the air. The controls were still responding a little, but it was getting harder."
Ignacio remained by the wall.
It was the first time he had heard her speak about what had happened before he found her.
"I remember the water coming in," Cecilia continued. "I tried to free myself, but something was holding me. I don't know how I managed to get out."
Her hand tightened around the sheet.
Victoria watched her closely.
"You don't have to talk about it now."
Cecilia drew a slow breath and nodded.
The government representative leaned slightly toward her.
"I'm sorry. We didn't come here to ask you to go through that again."
"It's all right."
But her voice was no longer steady.
Ignacio brought her the glass of water. She took it in both hands and drank a little before handing it back.
One of the family heads waited until she was calmer.
"For now, focus on recovering. We'll continue looking after you and the others."
Cecilia looked at Victoria.
"Are the others getting better?"
"Some are recovering faster than others. They're all still receiving care."
"I'd like to see them."
"We'll ask the doctor when you can."
The municipal official spoke gently.
"We're going to visit everyone before we leave."
She nodded. Then she hesitated, as if she wanted to add something.
"Can I ask you for something?"
"Of course."
Cecilia looked at the government representatives.
"When you talk about us… talk about the ones who didn't come back too."
Victoria stood motionless beside the bed.
"There were fifty of us," Cecilia added.
The man closed the folder he had placed on his knees.
"We'll keep that in mind."
She watched him for a few more seconds.
"They deserve to have people know what they did too."
"You're right," he replied.
The conversation continued briefly. This time, the visitors listened more than they spoke.
When the doctor appeared at the door, Victoria realized they should let Cecilia rest. She stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll come and see you again."
"Soon?"
"Yes."
Melissa came over to say goodbye, and Carlos did the same. The family heads left with the officials, who continued toward the rooms they had yet to visit.
Before leaving, Victoria stopped beside Ignacio.
"I've been told you come often."
"When I finish my duties or have some free time."
The commander looked at Cecilia, who was still watching them.
"I'm glad she has company."
Ignacio nodded.
Victoria left, leaving the door ajar.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Ignacio returned to the chair. Cecilia rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, tired from the visit.
"Does it hurt?" he asked.
"A little."
"Should I call the nurse?"
She shook her head.
"Not yet. I want to stay like this for a moment."
The voice of one of the other pilots drifted in from the corridor. She was answering a question, though the words were not clear.
Cecilia opened her eyes.
"They really are visiting every room."
"They told you they would."
"Yes."
She listened until the voices grew quieter.
Then she looked at Ignacio again.
"Were you surprised by my age too?"
He rested his forearms on his legs.
"When we found you, I thought you were about my sister's age."
Cecilia watched him closely.
"Is that why you came back?"
Ignacio took a moment to answer.
"I wanted to know if you'd survived. Then I came to ask if you'd woken up."
"And you kept coming after that."
He smiled faintly.
"I told you I'd come back another day."
Cecilia lowered her gaze. She ran her thumb over a small crease in the sheet and remained quiet.
"I don't remember how I got to the ship," she said at last. "But I do remember you being here when I opened my eyes."
Ignacio nodded.
"You were very frightened."
"I didn't know where the others were."
Her voice broke as she finished.
She tried to continue, but had to press her lips together. Over the past few days, she had asked about the other pilots, listened to the answers, and learned to endure the pauses that came before certain names. In front of the visitors, she had managed to speak without crying.
Now she could not.
Ignacio brought the box of tissues closer and waited while she took one.
He did not ask her to calm down.
Cecilia covered her eyes for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize."
He stayed beside her until her breathing became calmer. Then he offered her water and waited for her to finish drinking.
When he checked the time, she noticed.
"You have to go."
"My watch starts soon."
Cecilia nodded and placed the tissue on the table.
Ignacio stood, but before he moved the chair aside, she spoke again.
"Will you come back tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"If you have time."
"I'll come when I'm finished."
She seemed more at ease.
As he put the chair back, she looked toward the window.
"Could you open the curtain a little more before you go?"
Ignacio walked over and drew it back, letting in the morning light.
"Like that?"
"Yes. Thank you."
When he reached the door, he turned to say goodbye. She was looking outside, her head resting on the pillow.
"See you tomorrow, Cecilia."
She turned toward him.
"See you tomorrow, Ignacio."
Farther down the corridor, the delegation was still with another pilot. One of the officials sat on the edge of a chair, listening, while Victoria remained near the bed.
Ignacio walked toward the exit.
Inside the room, Cecilia watched the strip of sunlight reaching the foot of her bed. Then she closed her eyes to rest.
Tomorrow, she would ask Ignacio his sister's name.